Automatic feed for internal combustion motors



QF. E. HLMES.'

AUTOMATIC FEEAD FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTTON MOTORS. y

` APPucTIoN HLED FB.z1,1919.

memes 5 Wim/Esi' apt. 2, 1910.

carica,

AUTOILLLIIJIC FEED FOR. INTERNAL-COMBUSTIQN MOTORS.

Lerares.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented sept. s, i919.)

Application filed February 21, 1919. Serial No. 278,538.

To all-whom it may concern:

Be itknown that I, FRANK E. HOLMES, a citizeni ci the United States, residing at 1120 South 51st street, Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented new and useful 1mprovements in Automatic Feeds for Internal-Combustion Motors, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to internal combustion motors and to oil feed devices therefor, and has for an object to provide an apparatus for feeding a quantity of lubricating oil to the crank case of a motor to maintain a proper level of oil in the crank case.

It is well known, particularly in the case of internal combustion motors such as are used on automobiles, that lack of lubrication to the crank case causes the bearing connected to the crank shaft, to burn out and also causes other damage to the motor. So also too much oil fed to the crank case, results in poor combustion and the distribution of the superfluous oil to the different parts of the motor, not only results in the corroding of spark plugs, but also jams the valve and valve heads.

Therefore 1 have in view the provision of an apparatus that may be built into 'an automobile when the same is built, or assembled, or which may vbe applied to the finished machine with the object of maintaining a proper level of oil in the crank case at all times, feeding any additional oil when necessary.

In the further disclosure of the invention, reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, constituting a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference denote corresponding parts in all the views, and in which,-

Figure 1- is a fragmentary plan view of the lower part or pan of tie crank case showing my apparatus applied thereto.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary enlarged vertical sectional view taken through the structure shown in F ig. l, to disclose in detail the form oit float and valve employed.

teferring more particularly to the views the numeral 10 indicates the pan-like bottom of a crank case, providing a chamber 11, said crank case having a false bottom 12 with suitable openings 13, so that lubricating oil contained in the chamber 11, can flow up into the supplementary basin 14 formed by the bottoni 12, and thence into the grooved-out portions 15 of the basin 14 to lubricate the bearings 16 of the crank shaft and connecting rods. Attached to a side of the crank case l() is a box 17 in the nature of a housing with acommunicating openingv 18 between the housing and the crank case, and'pivoted on a cross shaft 19 in the housing is a lever arm 20, having one end extending into the crank case through the opening 18 to support a iioat 21 in the chamber 11 of the crank case. The other end of the lever arm 20 carries a valve stern 22, extending upwardly through a passage 23 formed to connect the interior of the housing with a valve chamber 24, forming a part of the the stem 22 and arranged to close the passage 23 when the float 21 rises in the chamber of the crank case.

A reservoir 26 is suitably disposed under the seat of the automobile, or some other convenient place, said reservoir being adapted to be filled with lubricating oil which can flow by gravity from the chamber 11 to the valve chamber 24, the pipe 27 being suitably arranged to extend into a nipple 28, secured to the housing by a nut 29.

With a device of the character described, it will be apparent that when the proper level of oil in the crank=case has been determined and the apparatus arranged as shown, should the oil in the crank case be used up and the level of oil decreased therein, the float 21 will drop slowly, as the level of the oil is lowered, thus raising the valve 25 to permit an additional supply of oil from the reservoir 26 passing through the pipe 27 and into the v alve chamber 24, to pass on to from the opening 18 to the crank case, and

vwhen the supply of oil to the crank case brings the level of the oil in the crank case back to normal, the float 21 naturally rising, will actuate the valve 25 to close the passage 23 and thus cut off any further supply of the lubricating oil until such time when the level of oil in the crank case again is lowered below its normal point.

By having the float arranged below the false bottom of the crank case, it will be clear that the float will be protected from the swishing or splashing action of the oil as it is taken up by the bearings and connecting rods in the crank shaft in the operation of the same in the crank case, and thus the level of oil in the crank case can bc more accurately maintained and it Will be further seen that by having the housing attached to the side of the crank case -at the exterior thereof, ready access can be had to the interior of the crank case by the removal of the housing, thus also providing access to the part-s of the apparatus Within the housing, in case the saine need to be repaired or adjusted.

Further by having the housing as an eXtra part or' the crank case the device described, can be readily attached to a finished motor which niay be already installed in an automobile, it being simply necessary to provide the opening 18 in the side of the crank case and then properly attach the housing thereto.

Having described my claim,-

In a device of the character described, the combination with a crank case provided with an opening in a side Wall thereof, of

invention, I

Leiaiea a housing attached to the exterior of the/ crank case, providing access to the interior' thereof through the opening, a lever arm pivoted in the housing and having one end ex-v tending through the opening in the crank case, a float carried in said extended end ot' the lever arin and lying Wholly Within the crank case, a valve chamber in the housing, a passageconnecting the valve chamber with the interior of the housing, a valve'di'sposed in the valve chamber, a stein for the-valve and passing through the passage to the interior of the housing to connect with the other end or" the lever arm, an oil reservoir disposed above the horizontal plane of the crank case and a pipe connected to the oil reservoir and to the housing to permit the iloiv of' oil to the oil reservoir gravitationally into said valve chamber.

In testimony whereof I affix iny signature.

FRANK E. HOLMES. 

